lemppari Posted July 28, 2013 Posted July 28, 2013 The clutch in my RM started acting weird the other day. It functions properly when cold but won't disengage wholly when warm/hot. Hoping for a minor glitch, I flushed the fluid but no avail. When warm, you can feel the bike lurchin sllightly forward when putting it to first gear standing still. Likewise when already rolling on first gear clutch pulled one can feel the bike surging when throttling. Downshifting 3-2-1 is best done with a mid-throttle. What the heck is happening down there? I always thought that when clutches wear, they rather start slipping than gripping. Well, whatever it is, it's better to pull the engine out and have a look before it gets seriously nasty!
Baldini Posted July 28, 2013 Posted July 28, 2013 Any oil weep? Air in clutch fluid? Slave cylinder loose on mount? Knackered thrust bearing? Friction plates breaking up? Worn splines on clutch hub/frictionplate?
lemppari Posted July 28, 2013 Author Posted July 28, 2013 Any or all of those is possible, so onward to dismantling the engine!
Baldini Posted July 29, 2013 Posted July 29, 2013 Have a look thru the timing inspection hole, & remove starter & see if you can see anything obvious amiss thru engagement hole there? You can get at thrust bearing without dismantling engine/trans. You sure fluid doesn't need bleeding? Has clutch become noisy? I'm sure you've heard about the Scura & Tenni flywheels breaking up? I never heard of an RM flywheel fracturing like those. If you do pull it down would be interested to see photos of RM clutch. It's a single plate but I always wondered if it's different to Scuras & Tennis.
LowRyter Posted July 29, 2013 Posted July 29, 2013 If the bike is creeping while it's in gear, the clutch isn't fully disengaging. I had a similar experience with my Suzuki which also has a hydraulic actuated clutch. The rubber hose expands over time. You might add some hydraulic fluid and see it it takes up the slack. Worked for me. I later had the system flushed and went about my business.
lemppari Posted July 29, 2013 Author Posted July 29, 2013 I bled the fluid first thing, but that didn't change things. There's a very slight leak, more like breathing of oil at the back of the gearbox but that smells like tranny oil, so it is probably the "standard" leak many have reported.
thumper Posted August 1, 2013 Posted August 1, 2013 Mine had some of the same problems. Twin plate, the rivets had let go, so the friction material was loose. I left the engine in place crabbed the frame pulled out the transmission.
Camn Posted August 4, 2013 Posted August 4, 2013 it down would be interested to see photos of RM clutch. It's a single plate but I always wondered if it's different to Scuras & Tennis Somebody at the V11sport.de commented that the RM clutch is the same as on Scura and Tenni. I have been wondering if it is exactly the same as the "RAM" single disc clutch still offered today for example for Calis and V11s. I tend to think that it is mainly the same, made my the same producer.
emry Posted August 8, 2013 Posted August 8, 2013 The clutch in the Scura used a RAM friction and pressure plate, but a Guzzi produced flywheel. The RAM version was not known for failing, the Guzzi version, well not so much. Although the exact cause, improper factory torque, not enough load bearing surface, wrong alloy, etc... was never agreed upon. Apparently there were slight differences between the two versions, although I personally have never seen the RAM version. There was thread here eons ago it about when people started to switching to a twin plate.
gstallons Posted August 9, 2013 Posted August 9, 2013 If the bike is creeping while it's in gear, the clutch isn't fully disengaging. I had a similar experience with my Suzuki which also has a hydraulic actuated clutch. The rubber hose expands over time. You might add some hydraulic fluid and see it it takes up the slack. Worked for me. I later had the system flushed and went about my business. When you say "hydraulic fluid" , I hope you mean brake fluid ?
lemppari Posted August 28, 2013 Author Posted August 28, 2013 The decision to dismantle the bike was amply amplified when riding the bike to my garage. One could hear the dry clutch noise, normally audible when pulling the clutch, even at idle without touching the lever! I decided to take the long way, i.e. dismantle the rear end and am still struggling. It does take a lot more effort and time than simply dropping the engine, what with the strengthening struts between the kidneys and tranny, but I'm getting there.
lemppari Posted September 4, 2013 Author Posted September 4, 2013 Going in from the rear end has turned out to be slow and complicated. I should have done it the orthodox way, the job would have been done already. On top of everything the frame has to be jacked up some 10 centimeters anyway to get enough clearance backwards for the gearbox, so I have to conjur some sort of tackle to do it. As I have no hook or other fixing point in the garage ceiling, it really is getting exciting. Any other means to lift a frame?
fotoguzzi Posted September 5, 2013 Posted September 5, 2013 back in the day (apartment days) I used a tripod, land lady didn't mind previous renter was HD grease bag..
docc Posted September 5, 2013 Posted September 5, 2013 Oh, that's precious! Lemppari,how about borrowing/renting an engine hoist?
lemppari Posted September 5, 2013 Author Posted September 5, 2013 I'm actually leaning towards Ye Olde Trad Finnish Material, wood. Two 2-by-4 A-frames and a beam between them and a winchable loading strap.
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